Service in Gold Chronomètre Lusina - A journey through time through an exceptional pocket watch

There are some watches that don't just come for service;they come to tell a story. One such piece recently came across The Watchmaker's counter: a gold Chronomètre Lusina, engraved, personalised and with a movement that reveals the meticulous Swiss watchmaking of an era when craftsmanship had a different weight and importance.

The first contact with the watch prepares you for something sophisticated. The 14-carat case, with its decorative motifs and initials on the case back, testifies that this piece was of special value to its first owner. The dial, in a silver-saban shade, with gold Arabic numerals and a large sub-dial for seconds, exudes the aesthetic of the early 20th century - clean, harmonious and functional.

Dismantling & Inspection of the Machine

Opening the case reveals a beautiful high quality Swiss engine, with classic perlage decoration on the plate, lacquered bridge and distinctive engravings: "Lusina - 3 Adjts - 18 Jewels - Swiss".

The total of 18 stones, as well as the fact that the machine is set in 3 positions, show that we are dealing with a real pocket chronomètre, built with stability and precision in mind.

During disassembly, the expected signs of age were found:

• aged lubricants
• light oxidations
• small impurities between the gears
• subtle unevenness in hairspring

Nothing that can't be restored - but everything that shows a clock that worked, was loved and passed down from generation to generation.

Cleaning & Preparation

All parts were run through the ultrasonic machine, at special frequencies and solvents suitable for vintage mechanisms to protect the bridges and surfaces with decoration.

Particular attention was paid to:

• on the dial, which has embossed and sensitively painted numbers
• in the winding mechanism, where aged grease was observed
• in hairspring, which needed alignment to restore its homocentricity

The heart of the clock - The escape system & the regulator

The photos reveal an extremely beautiful escape system. The balance wheel with its distinctive gold pins, the blue spring and the regulator with A - R (Avance - Retard) markings show off the fine workmanship of the era.

During the audit it was found that:

• the balance was operating with reduced width
• the hairspring had a slight deviation in the middle
• the stone of the knob needed careful cleaning

After the alignment, the balance returned to perfect operation with stable width and symmetry.

Relubrication & Assembly

The lubrication protocol for vintage mechanisms was fully followed:

• Low viscosity lubricants for the balance shaft
• Special grease for high friction points on keyless works
• MOEBIUS on the Jewels of the train for maximum stability

The assembly was done in stages, with constant checks between phases to ensure that the machine was "tied" evenly.

The result? A Chronomètre Lusina that has regained the precision and stability for which it was built.

The final stage - Cleaning of the case & aesthetic restoration

The 14K gold case was carefully cleaned without aggressive polishing to preserve it:

• the initials
• the fine embossed patterns around the perimeter
• the character of the clock

The clock was fully assembled and tested in multiple locations. It now runs smoothly, with excellent seconds reset and stable performance.

A historical object that lives on

The Chronomètre Lusina is not just an old pocket watch. It is an object of history, aesthetics and craftsmanship that today functions again, quietly and elegantly - just as the watchmakers who created it envisioned it.

For The Watchmaker, such works are a reminder that every watch has a soul, and it is our duty to keep it alive.